Written questions by Wood.

With reference to the speech Move fast. Fix things, delivered on 20 January 2026, whether Ministers will have the authority to prevent Senior Civil Servants subject to performance processes from taking up new posts secured through fair and open competition.

The Government is clear that issues surrounding underperformance in the Civil Service must be robustly managed and not left unaddressed. Any work undertaken does not conflict with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

Further to the Part of a Return to an Address of the Honourable the House of Commons dated 4 February 2026 relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to Washington, Volume 1, HC1774-I, 11 March 2026, whether the Prime Minister was informed of the concerns by (a) Jonathan Powell and (b) Philip Barton about Lord Mandelson’s appointment.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2026, to Question 114884, on Lord Doyle, whether (a) the Cabinet Office, (b) No10 Political Office or (c) Prime Minister’s Office will be giving evidence to the Review into Lord Doyle.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 10 March 2026, Official Report, PQ 114884.

Pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 114888 on Treasury: pay, how many of the Direct Ministerial Appointments are (a) paid and (b) unpaid.

I refer the Hon. Gentleman to PQ 96208.

Pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2026, to Question 117761 on Cabinet Office: Public Expenditure, whether the Prime Minister’s Office a Department in its own right.

The Prime Minister's Office is a business unit of the Cabinet Office.

Pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37424 on Parliamentary and Political Service Honours Committee: Public Appointments, in how many cases have reserve lists been used to appoint a member to an honours committee since July 2024..

Reserve lists have been used in one instance to appoint two members to an honours committee since July 2024.

What the terms of reference were of the fact-finding exercise of the General Counsel to the Prime Minister in the context of the return to the Humble Address; and whether there was a report of that exercise.

I refer the Hon Member to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Whether applicants for Developed Vetting are advised that giving false or misleading information, whether directly or by omission, would be a disciplinary offence.

Applicants and Clearance Holders, for all levels of National Security Vetting (NSV), are advised of their responsibilities with regard to the NSV process both at the point of data collection and through the ancillary guidance published on gov.uk. This includes the need for full and complete disclosure. UKSV acts as a service provider for NSV only, any decision to take disciplinary action remains separate from NSV and would be undertaken by the employing authority.

Pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2026, to Question 112197, on Lord Mandelson, if he will publish Gordon Brown’s letter to the Cabinet Secretary and the reply; and whether that information is within scope of the Humble Address.

The Government has no plans to publish private correspondence between Rt Hon Gordon Brown and the former Cabinet Secretary.

Pursuant to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament press notice of 25 February 2026, what are the criteria and definition of scope for the Humble Address.

I refer you to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Further to the Humble Address of 4 February 2026 relating on the appointment of Lord Mandelson as HM Ambassador to Washington, how many separate volumes of returns he anticipates publishing..

I refer you to the Government's statement and release of information on 11th March, providing an update on the response to the Humble Address. The Government is working to ensure that Parliament’s instruction is met with the urgency and transparency that it deserves.

Whether advice on the (a) strengths and (b) weaknesses of individual appointable candidates were given to the Prime Minister by the Civil Service on the appointment of the (i) previous and (ii) current Cabinet Secretary.

I refer to my answer 115556, the Cabinet Manual sets out that the Cabinet Secretary is appointed directly by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister receives advice from the First Civil Service Commissioner, but is the final decision maker. The announcement of the previous Cabinet Secretary (here) explained that “this appointment was made following a full fair and open external competition, chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner.” The announcement of the current Cabinet Secretary (here) explained that “the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary. Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role.

With reference to the letter from the ONS Permanent Secretary to UK Statistics Authority Interim Chair on ONS prioritisation, of 19 February 2026, what discussions he has had with the Office for National Statistics on its reasons for ending its analysis on the night time economy.

As part of their spending review 2025 settlement the ONS agreed to a prioritisation exercise to reduce the number of its outputs to ensure the department can focus on its core remit of producing and publishing high quality and timely economic and population statistics. The Government welcomes this approach.Ministers have not specifically discussed the analysis on the night time economies with the ONS. Following this PQ, ONS has confirmed that this analysis is not a regular publication and has previously been published on an ad hoc basis only.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2026 to Question 108667 on Cabinet Office: Policy, how many desk notes are held by the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to Question 108667 on 20 February 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2026 to Question HL13539 on Special Advisers: Email, whether guidance or advice has been given to (a) officials and (b) special advisers on whether information held on non-corporated advices remains in scope of the Freedom of Information requests after they leave Crown Service.

Officials and special advisers are directed to guidance on use of Non Corporate Communication Channels on appointment and leaving of Crown Service.

Further to the Cabinet Office: business expenses, hospitality and meetings for senior officials, July to September 2025, published on 16 December 2025, whether the taxi journey recorded on 22 July 2025 for Ellen Atkinson in the Propriety and Constitution Group from central London to Foster & Partners in Battersea, at a cost of £18.95, what was the purpose of the meeting.

This meeting was with Foster + Partners, the design team for the national memorial for Queen Elizabeth II to be built in St James’s Park, London.

With reference to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question HL15172 on Civil Servants: Media and Public Speaking, what is the timetable for the policy development and publishing updated guidance; and whether the new guidance will be published on gov.uk.

The development of the updated guidance is a live policy area and it will be completed in due course. Publication plans will be confirmed when complete.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 113613 on UK Integrated Security Fund: Equality, which Integrated Security Fund projects have been supported which relate to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion markers.

I refer the Member to answers given to Parliamentary Questions 91383 and 92006.

With reference to page 35 of the Cabinet Office consultation paper on Digital ID, 10 March 2026, CP1498, whether his Department considered collecting data on sex for digital ID.

As set out in the Digital ID consultation paper, the national digital ID will only collect the minimum amount of data required to issue and manage securely. We are asking questions in the consultation about the type of data that should be included.

Whether he plans to amend his Department's guidance to civil servants, Ministers and special advisers on using non-corporate communication devices.

I refer the Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire to my replies to his Parliamentary Questions 112176 and 112653. The current guidance was issued under the previous government. We plan to review the way that non-corporate communication channels are used in Government and to update the accompanying guidance to reflect the changes in the ways we use technology.